Description

Arthur Clyne, 1894. 3-storey and attic 9-bay former hotel, with distinctive keystoned horseshoe-arched openings to ground (converted to flats, 1986). Rock-faced granite with broad ashlar courses. Cill courses. Central 8-panel 2-leaf timber door with semicircular fanlight above. Central pedimented dormer with flanking tall stacks and finial detail. Flanking 2-light dormers with tall blocking courses.

Predominantly plate glass timber sash and case windows to upper storeys. Multi-pane over 3-pane to ground. Mansard roof, grey slate. Gable stacks.

Statement of Interest

This is a striking building within the predominantly Classical planned streetscape of King Street. The rock-faced granite and the horseshoe-arched window openings are unusual features which set it apart from the surrounding Classical streetscape. The classical style was to dominate the planned early nineteenth century city of Aberdeen. The bold town planning which created Union Street and King Street was the defining gesture which allowed Aberdeen to develop from an contained Medieval Burgh to a expanding modern city.

Arthur Clyne (1853-1924), was an Aberdeen architect, whose practice merged with John Pirie in 1881 to become that of Pirie and Clyne. Their output focussed mainly on private houses or Episcopal Churches, as Clyne had an interest in the latter Pirie died in 1892. This is one of the relatively few commercial buildings that Clyne designed.

Built as the County Hotel, this building later became the Gordon Highlanders Club before its conversion to flats in 1986.

King Street developed after 1794, when a town council meeting asked the engineer Charles Abercrombie to find a way to connect the original steep, muddled Medieval streets of Aberdeen to the surrounding countryside. His plan was for two streets, one of which would run from Castlegate to the Denburn and the other which would run from the Castlegate to the North of the town. The latter was King Street.

Category changed from B to C(S), 2007.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56625341

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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